Show Info

Title 

The Words of Ants 

Playwright  

Xiaoyan Kang 

Director 

Meredith G. Healy 

Dramaturg 

Ani Jilavyan 

Stage Manager 

Abbie Talken 

Category 

New Play Festival, Production 

First Rehearsal 

April 4th 

Load In/Tech /Dress 

May 7th, 8th 

Performances 

May 9th  (2 Performances 5:30pm & 9:00pm)

Roles to be cast 

Age (Presentation) 

Gender (Presentation) 

Description 

YAN 

50s 

Female 

A peasant 

OUYANG 

50s  

Female 

A linguistics professor 

LING LING 

10 (should be played by an adult actor) 

Female 

Yan’s granddaughter 

HAN 

50s 

Male 

Yan’s husband 

MEIYE 

35 

Female 

A teacher, aspiring to become an inheritor of the secret language 

Synopsis 

The visit of an uninvited woman changes Yan's life forever. As the last natural inheritor, Yan embarks upon a journey to preserve an almost extinct language, but at what cost? 

Notices 

Please be advised this show includes discussions about death of loved ones and mention of child abuse. 

Important Dates/Holidays 

3/30 Ougadi/Ugaadi, 3/30 Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan)*, 4/4 Qing Ming Jie, 4/6 Ram Navami, 4/10 Mahavir Jayanti, 4/12-4/20 Passover*, 4/13 Theravada (New Year), 4/18 Good Friday,  4/18 Good Friday (Orthodox), 4/20 Easter, 4/20 Easter (Orthodox),5/1 Beltane-Samhain, 5/5 Cinco De Mayo, 5/11 Mother's Day, 5/12 Vesak- Buddha Day, 5/12-16 Spring Finals, 5/17 Commencement, 5/17 Armed Forces Day, 5/26 Memorial Day (Observed), 5/29 Ascension Day, 5/31 Duan Wu Jie, 6/1-3 Shavuot*, 6/8 Pentecost, 6/14 Flag Day, 6/15 Father's Day, 6/19 Juneteenth (Fed. Observed), 6/20 Summer Solstice-Litha, 6/23 Pentecost (Orthodox) 

 

Fight Choreography Breakdown  

Page  

Stage Directions/ Planned Action  

Character(s)  

Notes  

 15 

HAN throws the flowers at YAN. YAN is showered in flower petals. 

 HAN, YAN 

  

 66 

YAN makes to leave, while HAN snatches her blazer off and puts it on himself. 

 HAN, YAN 

  

 

 

Callback List

Callbacks Schedule:

Thursday, March 27th:  Callbacks, Times TBD, ranging from 6:30pm – 11:00pm

Friday, March 28th:  Callbacks, Times TBD, ranging from 6:30pm – 11:00pm

Saturday, March 29th:  Callbacks, Times TBD, ranging from 10:00am – 5:00pm

Further information will be posted following the auditions on Wednesday, March 26th.

Cast List

Cast Lists will be posted by noon on Sunday, March 30th.

Contact

Stage Manager: Abbie Talken - abbie-talken@uiowa.edu

NPF Production Stage Manager: savanha-moore@uiowa.edu